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Fake Marine gets 20 years for raping airman

A Fairbanks, Alaska, man who posed as a retired Marine colonel to lure a female airman to a rural area, where he sexually assaulted her, will spend up to 20 years in prison.

Edward Pezel, 42, was sentenced Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Robert Downes, who also gave Pezel another 10 years of suspended time.

According to prosecutors, Pezel approached the 22-year-old woman at a restaurant, identified himself as John Frankenbach and told her his wife was dying. He gave the woman an e-mail address so they could keep in touch and asked her for a ride home, prosecutors said.

In the woman’s vehicle, Pezel directed her to an area near Mile 315 Richardson Highway. He claimed to suddenly have stomach cramps and crawled into the back seat.

When the woman stopped the vehicle and got out, Pezel pushed her into the back seat. He threatened to kill her, removed her clothing and assaulted her, prosecutors said.

“It has taken me a long time to look in the mirror and feel good about myself,” the woman said in court Tuesday. And even though she said she wanted Pezel to serve a long time behind bars, she forgave him.

“I just want to make sure that he will not be able to rape or hurt anyone again,” she said.

Downes said he hopes the prison sentence serves as a deterrent to others.

“I want the people in this jurisdiction to know if they are going to commit rape, they are going to go to jail for 20, 40, 60 years,” Downes said.

Pezel allegedly told the woman during the May 30, 2006, assault that she would think about it every day.

“The words that you used to taunt this victim in this case will taunt you,” Downes said. “You’ve horribly affected this young woman. I need you to understand that.”